US Senate candidate from Texas wants to shoot wetbacks and keep pot illegal

It’s not every day you find a person running for office who commits political suicide when pressed for an answer about their stance on an issue.

Meet 53-year-old Chris Mapp, a south Texas boat salesman from Port O’Connor who is running against current U.S. Senator John Cornyn for the GOP nomination. Mapp thinks those coming over the border who he termed as “wetbacks” should be shot on sight and that people who support legalizing cannabis are immature and have their heads up their asses, even as 58% of Texans support legalizing marijuana and 79% oppose jailing cannabis consumers.

It all began when DFW NORML‘s deputy director Tristan Tucker, who is a Navy veteran, asked Mapp for his stance on marijuana legalization after a friend of his, Amy King, had been trying to get a response on the subject. What ensued was a spewing of profanity and insults towards supporters of cannabis law reform on his Facebook page.

I have just been engaged by the Cannabis, Ganja, grass, Hashish, Hemp, Indian hemp, marijuana, Pot, reefer, weed voter and I want to be clear that it would be best if you love the above listed products to vote for someone else. There are six other candidates running – pick one. Thank you

This first status update was just the tip of the iceberg, as Texas activists sparred with him on the subject.

Shannon Talley responded to Mapp by stating “I’m a retired and disabled veteran – and I demand thoughtful, respectful responses to my thoughtful, respectful questions and comments. If you can’t even be polite, you need to stop trying to run for the seat now, you’ll never win, we – the people, won’t let you.”

Mapp was unrelenting though, replying back to Talley with “No sir, no apology here and for me to enable you to continue playing the victim will not happen.”

He went on to tell another veteran to “man up” when they talked about cannabis helping with war related injuries, adding “in the face of adversity we don’t go to substance abuse in any form.”

Does this mean that the use of any drug, even prescription drugs, is substance abuse?

While completely opposed to legalization, Mapp did concede that marijuana does have some medicinal benefits, but is opposed to most forms of medical marijuana as well, stating that the chemicals should be extracted and put into pill form, comparing the non-toxic cannabis plant to heroin. He maintains this stance despite research showing that smoked cannabis is more beneficial than the pill form THC, and the mountains of other research which activists presented to him.

Mapp went on to state “if you believe I am hypocritical on this topic then let me say now that you can pull your head out of your ass for 30 seconds.” He then associated marijuana with causing seizures, even as we’ve seen people with seizures benefit from the use of medical cannabis. Mapp also believes that legalization advocates are hiding behind medical marijuana.

When asked about hemp legalization, Mapp simply responded with “medical yes and legalize no” demonstrating that he likely knows next to nothing about cannabis since hemp is an industrial fiber which cannot get a person high. The hemp plant is illegal because of its similarities to marijuana.

He also asked for anyone to name five politicians who support legalization, even as one of his opponents, Rep. Steve Stockman, supported a bill in congress last year to respect state marijuana laws. Just last week 18 members of congress urged President Obama to reschedule marijuana.

Stating that marijuana is an addictive substance and after seeing the effects of alcohol, Mapp said he could not support legalizing cannabis. Mapp stated “I have watched growing up in the 60’s and 70’s good people never progress to the best of their ability because of marijuana usage. There is so much more to life than getting high and when you see what the effects of excess alcohol have done to families and to the individuals themselves, it is a shame to watch a person never progress or fall to the wayside in the name of recreational usage.”

He displayed his hypocrisy though by refusing to advocate for making alcohol illegal.

The executive director of DFW NORML, Shaun McAlister, gave his thoughts on the matter as well, stating “I’ve never actually seen someone running for a US Senate seat so willing to curse at and belittle veterans, sick children and the millions of voters in this country that are ready to vote for medical marijuana, industrial hemp as well as full blown legalization. It’s pretty astounding that you’d be so willing to commit political suicide over the internet before you’re even able to reach 1,000 supporters.”

Mapp made one final statement on his Facebook page before ending the conversation, stating:

After all day of fighting the Cannabis crowed which I called the legalize crowd, call it what you will. I would support medical extractions of chemicals that would make good qualities in meds as does properties of heroin. BUT I WOULD NOT SUPPORT LEGALIZING CANNABIS FOR PUBLIC USE AND THESE INDIVIDUALS LIKE TO HIDE BEHIND THEIR REAL PURPOSE, ‘IT IS FOR THE CHILDREN YOU KNOW”. THEN THEY SHOULD CONCUR WITH MY POSITION; ACCEPTING ONLY REGULATED PRESCRIBED MEDS OF CANNABIS ORDERED BY A DOC AND NOT FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION. NO LEGALIZATION OF ANY KIND FOR PUBLIC/RECREATIONAL PURPOSES. CALIFORNIA, COLORADO AND WASHINGTON GOT IT WRONG BUT IT IS A STATE ISSUE.

Here is my response to their RANT.

If this is where we have come to then I feel sorry for those that think this way. I will never support this and will fight you every step of the way.

I will not think for one minute that this country is so removed from reality that we would legalize marijuana and strip society of the ability to progress intellectually knowing what the consequences of alcohol have done. You do have your head up your ass and every immature individual that believes this is the way. As this society degrades, I hope they can learn to speak a second language and that language had better be Chinese because if marijuana is your biggest issue then you are screwed and it pains me that you would take your country with you. your views will get this country in a place that liberty will become but a memory.

I hope your data is wrong and it probably is and the reason I say that is because I travel the state and listen to those who want to take their country back and drugs are part of the problem.

Your youth indicates the folly of your ways. Thank you and let’s see who wins this fight.

You have convinced me of one thing. A man that wants drugs as his main issue when the debt is 17 trillion is doomed to slavery. When you see the end coming, know you had the chance to make a difference and failed.

Further displaying his ignorance on the subject, Mr. Mapp is unaware that California is not yet a legal state, only medical.

Tucker has since challenged Mapp to a debate on marijuana legalization, and Mapp has accepted, though he has not confirmed a date for it. We will keep you posted about this upcoming debate.

This incident caught the eye of the Dallas Observer, who did a bit of research on Mapp and found that he advocates for ranchers who are on the border to shoot “wetbacks” on sight as they cross over. Mapp also told the Dallas Morning News that President Obama is a “socialist son of a bitch.”

For those interested in letting Mr. Mapp know their thoughts on this matter, they can find his Facebook page at facebook.com/mappforussenate.